Infinite MPG
This morning I removed my center console to fix a broken heater clip issue, and I now seem to get infinite mpg when the lights are on. I obviously wired something incorrectly, but I have no clue what. My mpg gauge operates under normal conditions when the lights are off, but I wonder what connection in the center console is tied to the mpg meter.
‘83 Platinum N/A 944
Check the wiring for the instrument panel lights. You likely swapped the mpg gauge signal wire with the illumination wire. When you turn the lights on, it's sending power to the wrong place, making the meter peg. Trace the wires for the console lights and the gauge to fix the swap.
I have plans to pull the dash to reupholster it, so I’ll check then. I’m just so confused as to why any of the connections in the center console have any relation to the mpg meter
‘83 Platinum N/A 944
I think you have swapped the gauge ground wire with one of the instrument light bulb's wire. Look for a brown wire going to a bulb, and swap it with the grey/blue wire going to the meter. The bulb filaments (all of the instrument's bulbs in parallel) are providing the ground path for the gauge to work when the lights are off.
Well what’s weird is that I never tampered with the gauge cluster when this happened, everything I did was in the center console. Unless the wires you’re referring to are the ones in the center console.
‘83 Platinum N/A 944
Well, then that doesn't make sense. It might be possible that just the brown (ground) wire has become disconnected from the gauge somehow. The two bulbs in the gauge on the same ground wire might be providing enough ground path to run the econometer, until the lights are switched on. Maybe moving stuff around in the console area caused a loose connection to come off. The ground wire itself doesn't show any connection to the console area, but perhaps it is in a common cable assembly with wires that do.
On the other hand, you are getting infinite gas mileage, just drive it with the lights on!
On the other hand, you are getting infinite gas mileage, just drive it with the lights on!
Well I took the car for a late night drive and my interior clock doesn’t illuminate! That leads me to believe I switched the 2 identical ground connections going to different components, so I will be going in and swapping those back soon.
‘83 Platinum N/A 944